Improvement in car-starters



r". A. HULL. CAR-STARTER.

Patented June 20,1876.

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N-PETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STAns FREDERIOK A. HULL, OF BELVIDERE, ILLINOIS.

ATENT 1 OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT lN CAR-STARTERS.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 1 7S,S53, dated June 20, 1876; application filed June 21,1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. HULL, of Belvidere, Boone county, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Car Brake and Starter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cartruck, with my improved brake and starter applied. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of'a portion of the frame. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the car-truclgand Fig. at is a section of the friction-clutch, having the pulley connected, upon which the cord connected with the braking and starting spring is Wound.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

The invention relates to a'novel manner of combining the devices employed for starting a car with the devices for braking the same, whereby the action or movement of the brake in stopping the car is made to accumulate power for starting the same when the brakes are released, the details of construction for carrying the same into effect being hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawing, A A represent the side and end bars of the truck, and B B .are girts placed midway of the width of the frame, and to which the devices for operating the brake and starter'are connected. 0 are the wheels, and O the axles. Upon each of these axles are mounted friction clutches or cones, the parts D D thereof being rigidly secured to the axle, while the parts D D are placed loosely thereon. The parts D D are provided with grooves 61 d, in which grooves an endless belt, E, runs, the one D being also provided with a second groove or pulley, 01 the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. F is a coiled spring, which is connected at one end to a bolt or pin, f, at one end of the truck, said spring lying between the girts B B, and at its forward end has connected to it a cord or chain, F. This cord passes over a pulley, G, and is connected to the part D of the clutch in such manner as to wind in the groove or pul- Iey al The pulley G'over which the cord passes has'its bearings inthe girts B B. H is a rod, bent in such form as to pass across the girts, and is connected at each end with 'a lever, H H mounted upon opposite sides of the girts B B. I I are clutch-shifters, which are connected to the rod H and engage with the loose part of theclutches for throwing said parts into and out of action with the stationary portion of the axle.

The shifters are connected to the rod H in such manner that onlyone clutch shall be thrown into action-that is, when one is thrown in the other is thrown out.

The lever-s11 H may be provided with a suitable locking device, which should be so constructed that the movement of one lever desired to start'the car,' the lever is thrown in the opposite direction, which brings the opposite clutch into action, and the part I) or D being released from frictional contactwith the parts I) or D on the axle, the spring is contracted, which unwinds the chain and causes the part D to turn on the axle, and, by means'of the endless belt, motion is communicated to the opposite clutch, which has been thrown into engagement with the opposite axle, and, by its action, the wheels are caused to turn in the same direction as before, thus starting the car.

It will be seen that, by the construction above described, it is immaterial which end of the car is forward or which end the brake is operated from, as the cord is always wound on the pulley 01 on the part D in the direction in which the axle is rotated, the direction being reversed with the reversed movement of the car.

Having now described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The eembination, with the clutches D D D D, spring F, and cord F, of theendless belt E, all arranged and operatingsubstantinlly as described.

2. The combination, with the clutch shifters I I, of the connecting-bar H and its actuating levers H 11 whereby either of the two friction-clutches D D, may be thrown into or out of engagement with its axle from'eithes end of the car, substantially as described.

This specification signed and witnessed this 5th day of June, 1875.

FREDERICK A. HULL. Witnesses:

G. W. FORD, CHARLES S. FORD. 

